How does this frame work?

June 6, 2024 5:24 PM

I bought this frame, it uses the little metal tabs to keep the back attached. How am I supposed to open it?

Am I supposed to pull the tabs out, then try to push them back in?

Or, bend them up until I can remove the back, then bend them back when I'm done?

Do I need special pliers to push the tabs in, if I remove them?

The metal the tabs are made of seems really cheep, will they break if I bend them more than a couple of times?

posted by Marky to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

I think you're meant to bend them. And you are correct that they cannot be bent back and forth a million times without breaking.
posted by aubilenon at 5:33 PM on June 6 [2 favorites]

Best answer: You bend them up carefully until you can remove the back, then bend them back when you are done. And yes, they are not meant to be bent regularly. You only want to use this type of frame to frame something you want to keep in this particular frame long term.
posted by gudrun at 5:52 PM on June 6

Best answer: Bend as few as possible. With any luck you'll be able slide the backing out sideways (as opposed to flopping it out/pulling the entire back directly away from the front).
posted by sardonyx at 6:02 PM on June 6

Best answer: Use a screwdriver, butter knife etc… as a flat edge to slip under the tab and bend it up, then to flatten it down again. Your fingers will thank you.
posted by veneer at 7:35 PM on June 6 [2 favorites]

Best answer: they cannot be bent back and forth a million times without breaking.

If they do break pushpoints can substitute.
posted by Mitheral at 8:27 PM on June 6 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Those things are called framer's points. They come in rigid and flexible versions. The flexible ones I'm familiar with are black and a little wider, like yours. They are installed with a framer's point driver.

The rigid ones you would have to pull out. Needle nose pliers would work fine. I've often found that the flexible ones don't bend enough out of the way for good clearance. Not a big deal if you don't mind messing up the unseen edges of your backing board or mat board, but they can get in the way if your artwork is full-sized or you're changing out the glass. If you have to pull them out it would take a frame shop about thirty seconds to put in new ones.
posted by hydrophonic at 9:31 PM on June 6 [1 favorite]

Or maybe a guitar pick.
posted by rhizome at 1:25 AM on June 7

Best answer: I use these kinds of frames way more than I should. The points will last longer than you think. Take a butter knife and put it gently between the point and the cardboard backing, lining it up with the frame. Bend the point up. I do all of them, myself, because I want to be sure that when I'm putting the piece into the frame it doesn't run the risk of getting bent or torn by being forced around a point. Pro tip: take the glass fully out and clean both sides of it, it will always make everything look better. Then after you have reassembled the frame with your artwork inside, use the butter knife to press the points back into place. If one falls out, you can usually wedge it back in.
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:02 PM on June 7